Methods and systems for controlling electric vehicles

Abstract

There is provided a method of controlling an electric vehicle. The method includes obtaining by a controller of the electric vehicle a first state indicator of a state of the electric vehicle, receiving at the controller a status indicator of an operating status of the electric vehicle, and updating by the controller the state of the electric vehicle based on the status indicator to an updated state. The updated state may be associated with a second state indicator. The method also includes determining by the controller a given braking type of a braking to be applied to the electric vehicle. This determining may be based on one or more of the second state indicator and the status indicator. The method also includes applying to the electric vehicle the braking of the given braking type. Systems for applying such braking are also provided.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of controlling an electric vehicle, the method comprising:
 obtaining by a controller of the electric vehicle a first state indicator of a state of the electric vehicle; 
 receiving at the controller a status indicator of an operating status of the electric vehicle; 
 updating by the controller the state of the electric vehicle based on the status indicator to an updated state, the updated state associated with a second state indicator; 
 determining by the controller a given braking type of a braking to be applied to the electric vehicle, the determining based on one or more of the second state indicator and the status indicator; and 
 applying to the electric vehicle the braking of the given braking type; 
 
       wherein:
 the updating the state of the electric vehicle comprises updating the state to the update state comprising a faulted state; 
 the determining the braking type comprises determining the braking type to comprise a hybrid braking; and 
 the applying the braking comprises applying the hybrid braking, the hybrid braking comprising:
 applying on electromagnetic braking to one or more electric motors of the electric vehicle using an electromagnetic braking module to reduce a rotational speed of the one or more electric motors; and 
 when the rotational speed is equal to or less than a threshold speed, applying a mechanical braking to the electric vehicle using a mechanical braking applicator; and 
 
 
       wherein:
 the receiving the status indicator comprises receiving an input fault indicator indicating a fault associated with an input received at the controller, the input associated with controlling the one or more electric motors; 
 the updating the state of the electric vehicle comprises updating the state to the updated state comprising an input-faulted state; 
 the applying the electromagnetic braking comprises one or more of:
 applying an active electromagnetic braking comprising one or more of:
 controlling the one or more electric motors to ramp down their rotational speed; and 
 controlling the one or more electric motors to hold them at a zero speed; and 
 
 applying a passive electromagnetic braking comprising one or more of:
 shorting together one or more phases of a first electric motor of the one or more electric motors; and 
 shorting one or more phases of the first electric motor to one or more corresponding phases of a second electric motor of the one or more electric motors; and 
 
 the applying the mechanical braking comprises:
 moving a braking rod of the mechanical braking applicator from a disengaged configuration to an engaged configuration. 
 
 
 
     
     
       2. A method of controlling an electric vehicle, the method comprising:
 obtaining by a controller of the electric vehicle a first state indicator of a state of the electric vehicle; 
 receiving at the controller a status indicator of an operating status of the electric vehicle; 
 updating by the controller the state of the electric vehicle based on the status indicator to an updated state, the update state associated with a second state indicator; 
 determining by the controller a given braking type of a braking to be applied to the electric vehicle, the determining based on one or more of the second state indicator and the status indicator; and 
 applying to the electric vehicle the braking of the given braking type; 
 
       wherein:
 the updating the state of the electric vehicle comprises updating the state to the updated state comprising a faulted state; 
 the determining the braking type comprises determining the braking type to comprise a hybrid braking; and 
 the applying the braking comprises applying the hybrid braking, the hybrid braking comprising:
 applying an electromagnetic braking to one or more electric motors of the electric vehicle using an electromagnetic braking module to reduce a rotational speed of the one or more electric motors; and 
 when the rotation speed is equal to less than a threshold speed, applying a mechanical braking to the electric vehicle using a mechanical braking applicator; and 
 
 
       wherein:
 the receiving the status indicator comprises receiving an operational fault indicator indicating a corresponding fault associated with operation of the electric vehicle; 
 the updating the state of the electric vehicle comprises updating the state to the updated state comprising an operational-faulted state; 
 the applying the electromagnetic braking comprises:
 applying a passive electromagnetic braking comprising:
 shorting together one or more phases of a first electric motor of the one or more electric motors; and 
 shorting one or more phases of the first electric motor to one or more corresponding phases of a second electric motor of the one or more electric motors; and 
 
 
 the applying the mechanical braking comprises:
 moving a braking rod of the mechanical braking applicator from a disengaged configuration to an engaged configuration; and 
 
 the method further comprising cutting driving power to the one or more electric motors. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein one or more of:
 the receiving the operational fault indicator comprises receiving a traction fault indicator associated with a corresponding fault in controlling the one or more electric motors, and the updating the state of the electric vehicle comprises updating the state to the updated state comprising a traction-faulted state; 
 the receiving the operational fault indicator comprises receiving a system fault indicator associated with a corresponding fault in the electric vehicle, and the updating the state of the electric vehicle comprises updating the state to the updated state comprising a system-faulted state; and 
 the receiving the operational fault indicator comprises receiving an operator seated fault indicator associated with a seat sensor ceasing to detect an operator of the electric vehicle as being seated in an operator seat of the electric vehicle, and the updating the state of the electric vehicle comprises updating the state to the updated state comprising the system-faulted state. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 receiving a third status indicator associated with a resolution of the corresponding fault associated with the operation of the electric vehicle; 
 updating by the controller the state of the electric vehicle based on the third status indicator to a non-faulted state; 
 discontinuing the passive electromagnetic braking; and 
 after the discontinuing the electromagnetic braking and the mechanical braking, restoring the driving power to the one or more electric motors. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , further comprising restarting the electric vehicle before the updating the state of the electric vehicle to the non-faulted state. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the applying the passive electromagnetic braking comprises controlling a contactor comprising an electrical contact movable between an open position and a closed position, the electrical contact resiliently biased towards the closed position by a resilient biasing force, the controlling comprising cutting electrical power to a contactor actuator of the contactor resisting the resilient biasing force to cause the electrical contact to move from the open position to the closed position under the resilient biasing force; and 
 the discontinuing the passive electromagnetic braking comprises restoring the power to the contactor actuator to move the electrical contact from the closed position to the open position against the resilient biasing force. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the contactor further comprises an override module having an override active configuration whereby the override module pulls against the resilient biasing force to move the electrical contact towards the open position and an override inactive configuration whereby the override module does not pull against the resilient biasing force; 
 
       the method further comprising:
 before the restoring the power to the contactor actuator, determining whether the override module is in the override active configuration by determining whether the electrical contact is in the open position by checking a voltage across the contactor. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 6 , further comprising: after the restoring the power to the contactor actuator, delaying by a predetermined delay before the restoring the driving power to the one or more electric motors. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising: checking that a throttle input received at the electric vehicle is at zero before the restoring the driving power to the one or more electric motors. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the moving the braking rod towards the engaged configuration comprises moving the braking rod towards a braking rotor of the mechanical braking applicator such that a tip of the braking rod contacts the braking rotor. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the mechanical braking applicator further comprises a brake handle module having a brake handle coupled to the braking rod to move the braking rod between the engaged configuration and the disengaged configuration, the brake handle having a cocked configuration and an uncocked configuration, the brake handle resiliently biased against the cocked configuration by a corresponding resilient biasing force; and 
 the moving the braking rod from the disengaged configuration to the engaged configuration comprises cutting power to an actuator of the brake handle module resisting the corresponding resilient biasing force to allow the corresponding resilient biasing force to move the brake handle from the cocked configuration to the uncocked configuration to move the braking rod from the disengaged configuration to the engaged configuration. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising one or more of:
 determining, using a first sensor, whether the braking rod is in the engaged configuration or the disengaged configuration; and 
 determining, using a second sensor, whether the brake handle is in the cocked configuration or the uncocked configuration. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 before the applying the mechanical braking, applying a manual force to the brake handle module to move the brake handle from the uncocked configuration to the cocked configuration against the corresponding resilient biasing force. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the receiving the status indicator comprises:
 receiving at the controller a measured parameter associated with a movable component of the electric vehicle; and 
 determining by the controller the status indicator based on the measured parameter. 
 
     
     
       15. A method of controlling an electric vehicle, the method comprising:
 obtaining by a controller of the electric vehicle a first state indicator of a state of the electric vehicle; 
 receiving at the controller a status indicator of an operating status of the electric vehicle; 
 updating by the controller the state of the electric vehicle based on the status indicator to an updated state, the updated state associated with a second stole indicator; 
 determining by the controller a given braking type of a braking to be applied to the electric vehicle, the determining based on one or more of the second state indicator and the status indicator; and 
 applying to the electric vehicle the braking of the given braking type; 
 
       wherein:
 the updating the state of the electric vehicle comprises updating the state to the updated state comprising a faulted state; 
 the determining the braking type comprise determining the braking type to comprise a hybrid braking; and 
 the applying the braking comprises applying the hybrid braking, the hybrid braking comprising:
 applying an electromagnetic braking to one or more electric motors of the electric vehicle using an electromagnetic braking module to reduce a rotational speed of the one or more electric motors; and 
 when the rotational speed is equal to or less than a threshold speed, applying a mechanical braking to the electric vehicle using a mechanical braking applicator; and 
 
 
       wherein:
 the applying the electromagnetic braking comprises applying a passive electromagnetic braking, the passive electromagnetic braking comprising one or more of:
 shorting together one or more phases of a first electric motor of the one or more electric motors; and 
 shorting one or more phases of the first electric motor to one or more corresponding phases of a second electric motor of the one or more electric motors. 
 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the applying the passive electromagnetic braking comprises controlling a phase-shorting module to apply the passive electromagnetic braking, the phase-shorting module comprising a contactor comprising an electrical contact movable between an open position and a closed position, the electrical contact resiliently biased towards the closed position by a resilient biasing force; and 
 the controlling the phase-shorting module comprises cutting electrical power to a contactor actuator of the contactor resisting the resilient biasing force to cause the electrical contact to move from the open position to the closed position under the resilient biasing force. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the contactor further comprises an override module having an override active configuration whereby the override module pulls against the resilient biasing force to move the electrical contact towards the open position and an override inactive configuration whereby the override module does not pull against the resilient biasing force; 
 
       the method further comprising overriding the passive electromagnetic braking by applying a manual force to the override module to move the override module from the override inactive configuration to the override active configuration. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the applying the electromagnetic braking further comprises applying an active electromagnetic braking, the active electromagnetic braking comprising one or more of:
 controlling the one or more electric motors to ramp down their rotational speed; and 
 controlling the one or more electric motors to hold them at a zero speed.